Because it's Friday the 13th, the nine legendary monsters of Xmas. Ah, the good, wholesome holiday filled with characters just waiting to kill children. I note that here because most holiday giving seasons (when St. Nick, aka Santa Claus, has already made his rounds and now is the time when the evil twin is active punishing the bad children). So our current tradition gives presents at the wrong time, has sanitized Santa's activities, and basically ignores the deeply pagan roots of the celebration. There's your War on Xmas. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
Cooking with plot and theme. Dr. Doyle with yummy food and a little instruction on how to structure a story. Also, Dr. Doyle would like you to stretch and scare yourself.
Neil Gaiman on where your story ideas come from. Me, I buy them in bulk. They're cheaper that way. And they don't spoil, for the most part.
Jennifer Crusie with a new drinking game, guess the book/movie from it's one-star review.
Terri Windling on the place of home in our stories.
That ol' miracle, cannabis oil. Say, have I ever mentioned how the monks kept cannabis product alive in Europe during the Dark Ages or how there were many people claiming healing powers back in the times of Jesus? (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
"And now comes the time in this bluegrass program where Union rules require us to play a train song or a 'she wouldn't love me so I had to kill her' song." Only this time, the women come back. The musical equivalent of retelling the fairy tale.
Oh noes! Alert the right-to-life peoples, an 82 year old woman complains of abdominal pain, discovers she has a 40-year old fetus calcified in her abdomen. Doctors will remove it surgically. I wonder if they would count this as a late term, partial-birth abortion. It is, after all, basically the same procedure. In other news, no, the pregnancy process isn't exactly the way they show it on TV. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
So there's this conjecture that all of the known universe is actually a holographic projection and we're living within some monstrously huge simulation. You may have heard of it. It's been on the Big Bang Theory once or twice (got Leonard laid once). Only, there's now mounting evidence that conjecture might actually be true. So, are we Zhuangzi dreaming we're the butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming we're Zhuangzi? And now you know why you haven't won the lottery. Time to hack reality like Cpt. Kirk on the Kobayashi Maru. (Grokked from Dan)
"Well, my friends, here’s your compelling argument: under the old system, rich investors didn’t get a piece of the action. Under this one, they most decidedly do." For the next time I hear an idiot conservative talking about how we should run government like a business or that privatization is the answer to all our woes. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
So, where do we come from. And by we, I mean all complex life forms on Earth. I love science. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
And you thought Men Who Stare at Goats was fiction. (Grokked form Dan)
There are just so many ways to play this story. I think I'll go with Speaker Boehner announces his retirement. He finally figured out that the crazy part of his caucus was hell bent on political suicide and they were going to take him with them. Glad you finally figured that part out, Mr. Boehner. You might have come to that conclusion about 4 years ago.
Jon Stewart "There's just so much crazy going on here." And the second half of that segment. The War on Christmas, with so much unexamined privilege and actual lack of knowledge of your own cultural heritage, it's amazing that these people don't realize the world isn't so brown.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Holiday Playlist - The King
Not sure this is exactly holiday music, but I'm always reminded of the holidays when I hear it. Here is Steeleye Span's The King.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The Treachery of Images
Of relevance to the day thing, it was time to revamp this classic.
Also
Ceci n'est pas une author.
Also
Ceci n'est pas une author.
Holiday Playlist - Mr. Grinch
Slaid Cleaves, Mr. Grinch. Besides the original sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, this is probably my favorite cover.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Linkee-poo is almost done with Fall Semester
Mary Robinette Kowal's debut author series.
Andrew Stanton's how to tell a great story TED talk as a poster.
Whatever happened to Susan Pevensie. Fanfic comes in all sizes. (Grokked from Sarah Goslee)
Tobias Buckell on Confusion in Detroit. The convention that is. Note to sell, plan to stay later on Sunday.
WANTS! Not only a nice lookinghouse castle, but it's someplace I'd like to live (although the nearly $6000 property taxes might be a problem). I wonder if I could crowd source it? (Grokked from Rae Carson)
Logos gone bad. When I viewed the page there was an add for $5 logos. I think I see the problem. (Grokked from Dr. Phil)
The Lycanlibrarian on value of Christmas Ornaments.
The problem with stealing radioactive materials. A matter of discussion in my classes for the past few weeks.
Wormholes may be entangled black holes. Wait, what? :: brain exploded :: (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The largest true-color photograph ever taken of the night sky. Okay, well, it's a composite of 37,000 photographs, but still. (Grokked from Jim Hines)
Just who is being helped by raising the minimum wage? Here's a quick graphic. Or, in other words, the talking points of the conservatives are at least two decades out of date. (Grokked from Mary Robinette Kowal)
And why pay the low-income people more when you can continue to fleece them for the small amounts they make. Usury, it's not just for pay-day loan companies anymore.
"How do hospitals set prices? They set prices to maximize revenue, and they raise prices as much as they can — all the research supports that." (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"Being around death all the time makes you different." A mortician putting the fun back in funeral. Posted for both the in sites into the business and because of the WIP. (Grokked from the Slactivist)
Tweet of my heart: @AdviceToWriters There’s no point in writing about somebody unless they’re flawed. AARON SORKIN
Andrew Stanton's how to tell a great story TED talk as a poster.
Whatever happened to Susan Pevensie. Fanfic comes in all sizes. (Grokked from Sarah Goslee)
Tobias Buckell on Confusion in Detroit. The convention that is. Note to sell, plan to stay later on Sunday.
WANTS! Not only a nice looking
Logos gone bad. When I viewed the page there was an add for $5 logos. I think I see the problem. (Grokked from Dr. Phil)
The Lycanlibrarian on value of Christmas Ornaments.
The problem with stealing radioactive materials. A matter of discussion in my classes for the past few weeks.
Wormholes may be entangled black holes. Wait, what? :: brain exploded :: (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The largest true-color photograph ever taken of the night sky. Okay, well, it's a composite of 37,000 photographs, but still. (Grokked from Jim Hines)
Just who is being helped by raising the minimum wage? Here's a quick graphic. Or, in other words, the talking points of the conservatives are at least two decades out of date. (Grokked from Mary Robinette Kowal)
And why pay the low-income people more when you can continue to fleece them for the small amounts they make. Usury, it's not just for pay-day loan companies anymore.
"How do hospitals set prices? They set prices to maximize revenue, and they raise prices as much as they can — all the research supports that." (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"Being around death all the time makes you different." A mortician putting the fun back in funeral. Posted for both the in sites into the business and because of the WIP. (Grokked from the Slactivist)
Tweet of my heart: @AdviceToWriters There’s no point in writing about somebody unless they’re flawed. AARON SORKIN
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Madiba
In the days of yore, giants walked the Earth. This past week another one passed from the living.
When a person reaches the level of influence that Mr. Mandela had, a simple recounting of their biography is wholly inadequate. Instead, the wake of their passage is an easier subject to quantify.
It's hard to explain Mr. Mandela's influence in my life. For me, Mr. Mandela was part of my personal journey. He was probably the first political mega-movement that I came to realize my first impression of had been entirely wrong. And because part of my impression was right, this realization caused me to re-examine everything. And that eventually drove me to change my personal politics.
It's easy to explain his influence on the world. His death dominated all news organizations not obsessed with Obamacare for the past week. Leaders from all over the world are traveling to South Africa for his memorial service. Very few people in the world have had such an influence on the world-wide zeitgeist than Mr. Mandela.
Mr. Mandela, if history has any righteousness, will be remembered in South Africa the same way we remember George Washington in the US. Political religions will be based around his hagiography. In a fifty years he will be mythic and the rougher parts of his life will be smoothed.
Nelson Mandela has left this world, and the rest of us are richer for his being here and poorer in his absence.
When a person reaches the level of influence that Mr. Mandela had, a simple recounting of their biography is wholly inadequate. Instead, the wake of their passage is an easier subject to quantify.
It's hard to explain Mr. Mandela's influence in my life. For me, Mr. Mandela was part of my personal journey. He was probably the first political mega-movement that I came to realize my first impression of had been entirely wrong. And because part of my impression was right, this realization caused me to re-examine everything. And that eventually drove me to change my personal politics.
It's easy to explain his influence on the world. His death dominated all news organizations not obsessed with Obamacare for the past week. Leaders from all over the world are traveling to South Africa for his memorial service. Very few people in the world have had such an influence on the world-wide zeitgeist than Mr. Mandela.
Mr. Mandela, if history has any righteousness, will be remembered in South Africa the same way we remember George Washington in the US. Political religions will be based around his hagiography. In a fifty years he will be mythic and the rougher parts of his life will be smoothed.
Nelson Mandela has left this world, and the rest of us are richer for his being here and poorer in his absence.
Holiday Playlist - Father Christmas
One of my all time holiday favorites.
The Kinks' Father Christmas.
The Kinks' Father Christmas.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Holiday Play List - Arbolito
One of the favorites from my holiday play list.
Tish Hinajosa Arbolito.
Tish Hinajosa Arbolito.
Linkee-poo, give us your money, we've got no time for your silly toys
"You might think those five golden rings pushed up the prices. But in fact, the price spike was driven by a spike in the cost of lords-a-leaping and ladies dancing." Price of the 12 Days of Xmas is up 7.7% this year.
Just in case you're writing that medieval fantasy and you want to use the old lie of arrows being silent. They aren't. Oh, and hey, doppler effect for the win! (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Worldbuilders 2013 is off and running.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Irene Gallo and picturing The Hobbit.
Ah, the human mind. There's six modern playgrounds to unleash your inner child at. We won't speak of Pennsic Wars (which aren't listed, but should be). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Okay, so you may think I'm a little too intense when it comes to typography. Honestly this conversation about a recurring trend in type is probably a little more than I normally do in public, but not nearly as in depth as some of my professional conversations.
"'Shouldn't we demand higher quality hoaxes?'… I say to you, my friends: we should. And we can, and it's not that hard." This story about "winning Thanksgiving" from a series of tweets reminds me not only of some of my writer friends who get on airplanes and tweet about the experience (let us not talk about what is out on the wing), but also about late 19th century photographs showing ghosts in houses or fairies at the bottom of gardens. We should look at the web as a subjective experience. Not every one is a trustworthy narrator. Of course you all know you can trust me, though.
"Our present lives, however, are not forever. But to think: 'Death is the enemy' is totally wrong. Death is part of our lives. Of course, from the Buddhist viewpoint, this body is in some sense an enemy. In order to develop genuine desire for moksha – liberation – then we do need that kind of attitude: that this very birth, this body, its very nature is suffering and so we want to cease that. But this attitude can create a lot of problems. If you consider death is the enemy, then this body is also the enemy, and life as a whole is the enemy. That’s going a little bit too far." The Dalai Lama on death and living. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
The sociopath in the corner office. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"'When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.' Proverbs 11:10" Alternatively, ding dong, another witch is dead. I know that being a good person means not taking delight in another's misfortunes or death, but sometimes I can't help myself. Paul Crouch, the founder of TBN (of which my local cable provides two channels - both of which I've blocked), is dead. Having watched TBN for the entertainment factor (like drinking games) when I lived in West "By God" Virginia, there's another quote in my head whenever I think of TBN, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." I think it was the teleplay that showed some very white indians celebrating the arrival of the Europeans because they brought them Christ. Never mind those European slaughtered most of them in the name of that same Christ.
The new normal when it comes to part time work. The employers are saying, "you need to be available full-time, but we'll call you when we need you."
Glenn Beck just gets weirder and weirder. If he wasn't so proud of having gotten sober I'd wonder just exactly what he's drinking. It's gotta be stronger than kook-aid.
"If the ritual of pledging allegiance to the flag is presented as an invitation to express one’s patriotism, then it might not be harmful. But if this ritual is commanded… then the whole business takes on an entirely different meaning — it’s… only an expression of compliance to a demand for obedience." Land of the free and home of the brave as it were. But if you don't do what we want you to, we'll take our little red ball and go home.
The top 10 reasons why the US may be the most corrupt country in the world. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Tweet of my heart: @mhoye Whenever I hear about a "skills gap" in the economy, my brain hears "people aren't taking the lowball offers", and I think well, golly.
Just in case you're writing that medieval fantasy and you want to use the old lie of arrows being silent. They aren't. Oh, and hey, doppler effect for the win! (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
Worldbuilders 2013 is off and running.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." Irene Gallo and picturing The Hobbit.
Ah, the human mind. There's six modern playgrounds to unleash your inner child at. We won't speak of Pennsic Wars (which aren't listed, but should be). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Okay, so you may think I'm a little too intense when it comes to typography. Honestly this conversation about a recurring trend in type is probably a little more than I normally do in public, but not nearly as in depth as some of my professional conversations.
"'Shouldn't we demand higher quality hoaxes?'… I say to you, my friends: we should. And we can, and it's not that hard." This story about "winning Thanksgiving" from a series of tweets reminds me not only of some of my writer friends who get on airplanes and tweet about the experience (let us not talk about what is out on the wing), but also about late 19th century photographs showing ghosts in houses or fairies at the bottom of gardens. We should look at the web as a subjective experience. Not every one is a trustworthy narrator. Of course you all know you can trust me, though.
"Our present lives, however, are not forever. But to think: 'Death is the enemy' is totally wrong. Death is part of our lives. Of course, from the Buddhist viewpoint, this body is in some sense an enemy. In order to develop genuine desire for moksha – liberation – then we do need that kind of attitude: that this very birth, this body, its very nature is suffering and so we want to cease that. But this attitude can create a lot of problems. If you consider death is the enemy, then this body is also the enemy, and life as a whole is the enemy. That’s going a little bit too far." The Dalai Lama on death and living. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
The sociopath in the corner office. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"'When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.' Proverbs 11:10" Alternatively, ding dong, another witch is dead. I know that being a good person means not taking delight in another's misfortunes or death, but sometimes I can't help myself. Paul Crouch, the founder of TBN (of which my local cable provides two channels - both of which I've blocked), is dead. Having watched TBN for the entertainment factor (like drinking games) when I lived in West "By God" Virginia, there's another quote in my head whenever I think of TBN, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." I think it was the teleplay that showed some very white indians celebrating the arrival of the Europeans because they brought them Christ. Never mind those European slaughtered most of them in the name of that same Christ.
The new normal when it comes to part time work. The employers are saying, "you need to be available full-time, but we'll call you when we need you."
Glenn Beck just gets weirder and weirder. If he wasn't so proud of having gotten sober I'd wonder just exactly what he's drinking. It's gotta be stronger than kook-aid.
"If the ritual of pledging allegiance to the flag is presented as an invitation to express one’s patriotism, then it might not be harmful. But if this ritual is commanded… then the whole business takes on an entirely different meaning — it’s… only an expression of compliance to a demand for obedience." Land of the free and home of the brave as it were. But if you don't do what we want you to, we'll take our little red ball and go home.
The top 10 reasons why the US may be the most corrupt country in the world. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Tweet of my heart: @mhoye Whenever I hear about a "skills gap" in the economy, my brain hears "people aren't taking the lowball offers", and I think well, golly.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Linkee-poo is on a procrastination break
Charlie Stross on what scared H.P. Lovecraft. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Picturing Ray Bradbury.
Novelist error messages. Bwahahahaha. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Elizabeth Bear shares some pictures of The Alnwick Poison Garden.
Make lots of noise, kiss lots of boys, kiss lots of girls if that's something you're into. Except UK couples aren't making lots of noise. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Thirty must see powerful photos. The power of photography. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
I wish I had someplace to put this. A miniature printing press. So wants. (Grokked from Irene Gallo)
The good war for military design. Ah, World War II, the good war, as it were. But I've always loved these informational graphics, especially the silhouette recognition charts.
Patients given fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) to treat recurrent Clostridium difficile infections (RCDI) cleared the bacteria in just days, and their intestinal microbiota were restored nearly to a pre-C. diff state within a year, according to a longitudinal study published in PLOS ONE today (November 26)." I know lots of people think it's disgusting, but I've seen lots of other things considered normal medicine that are just as gross, if not worse. Also, while fecal transplants are being used for C. diff, they're also be researched for other diseases. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"But I’ve learned a lot of lessons on the way to being 40. And one of those is that I don’t owe anyone an explanation for the way I look." It's a good lesson if you can internalize it. (Grokked from Mer Haskell)
"'Doctors do terminate the lives of children as well as adults, but today it's done in a gray zone or in the dark because it's illegal,' he said. 'This means that there's a lot of room to do things the wrong way.'" I find myself at both ends of this argument about allowing children with terminal diseases to choose euthanasia (actually, to have their parents choose it for them). Seeing people in the final, painful throws of life, I would never wish that pain on anyone. But then I also know that not all parents have their children's best interests at heart (that's a rough truth). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"In August, Science published a landmark study concluding that poverty, itself, hurts our ability to make decisions about school, finances, and life, imposing a mental burden similar to losing 13 IQ points." Some times circumstances dictate behavior. Some times situations can only make sense if you're in those situations. (Grokked from Janiece)
From a Slactivist's 7 things post, "5. District court nominations by white presidents filibustered in U.S. Senate in all of American history: 3… District court nominations by black presidents filibustered in U.S. Senate: 20… Senate filibusters of executive nominees by white presidents since World War II: 20… Senate filibusters of executive nominees by black presidents since World War II: 54" Just in case you didn't have an idea why Harry Reid pulled the trigger on the nuclear option.
The growth of children living in poverty since the early 2000s. A rising tide tends to drown those who are tied to the bottom. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Picturing Ray Bradbury.
Novelist error messages. Bwahahahaha. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Elizabeth Bear shares some pictures of The Alnwick Poison Garden.
Make lots of noise, kiss lots of boys, kiss lots of girls if that's something you're into. Except UK couples aren't making lots of noise. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Thirty must see powerful photos. The power of photography. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
I wish I had someplace to put this. A miniature printing press. So wants. (Grokked from Irene Gallo)
The good war for military design. Ah, World War II, the good war, as it were. But I've always loved these informational graphics, especially the silhouette recognition charts.
Patients given fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) to treat recurrent Clostridium difficile infections (RCDI) cleared the bacteria in just days, and their intestinal microbiota were restored nearly to a pre-C. diff state within a year, according to a longitudinal study published in PLOS ONE today (November 26)." I know lots of people think it's disgusting, but I've seen lots of other things considered normal medicine that are just as gross, if not worse. Also, while fecal transplants are being used for C. diff, they're also be researched for other diseases. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"But I’ve learned a lot of lessons on the way to being 40. And one of those is that I don’t owe anyone an explanation for the way I look." It's a good lesson if you can internalize it. (Grokked from Mer Haskell)
"'Doctors do terminate the lives of children as well as adults, but today it's done in a gray zone or in the dark because it's illegal,' he said. 'This means that there's a lot of room to do things the wrong way.'" I find myself at both ends of this argument about allowing children with terminal diseases to choose euthanasia (actually, to have their parents choose it for them). Seeing people in the final, painful throws of life, I would never wish that pain on anyone. But then I also know that not all parents have their children's best interests at heart (that's a rough truth). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"In August, Science published a landmark study concluding that poverty, itself, hurts our ability to make decisions about school, finances, and life, imposing a mental burden similar to losing 13 IQ points." Some times circumstances dictate behavior. Some times situations can only make sense if you're in those situations. (Grokked from Janiece)
From a Slactivist's 7 things post, "5. District court nominations by white presidents filibustered in U.S. Senate in all of American history: 3… District court nominations by black presidents filibustered in U.S. Senate: 20… Senate filibusters of executive nominees by white presidents since World War II: 20… Senate filibusters of executive nominees by black presidents since World War II: 54" Just in case you didn't have an idea why Harry Reid pulled the trigger on the nuclear option.
The growth of children living in poverty since the early 2000s. A rising tide tends to drown those who are tied to the bottom. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)